7 more districts to get PoS machines at FPSs by mid-January: Zulfkar

The Minister, while taking stock of installation of these devices in FPSs, directed M/s Linkwell Tele systems to install PoS machines in all left out FPSs in the already covered districts by 31st December.

As a sequel to equip the fair price outlets with Point of Sale (PoS) machines to ensure added accountability and transparency, the government is going to launch this hi-tech facility in seven more districts.

Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Tribal Affairs, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali informed this today during a meeting held with the officers of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department to review the progress on implementation of electronic Public Distribution System (e-PDS)

The new seven districts to be covered under e PDS are Anantnag, Bandipora, Kulgam of Kashmir region while in Reasi, Kathua, Poonch and Udhampur of Jammu region which would be provided PoS machines by mid-January 2018. The endeavor is aimed at to enable the department keep a track on all kinds of financial transactions.

The Minister, while taking stock of installation of these devices in FPSs, directed M/s Linkwell Tele systems to install PoS machines in all left out FPSs in the already covered districts by 31st December.

The Minister also reviewed the district wise target allotted and achieved under PDS besides variation under PHH, NPHH and Exclusion category. He directed the concerned to ensure that the variation in the target reports shall be reduced to zero for both PHH and NPHH category.

In view of inclement weather, the officers of FCS&CA department of both regions were directed to mobilize all resources to ensure adequate availability of food grains, K oil, LPG besides other essential commodities.

With regard to stock position of ration, LPG, petrol etc, the concerned Assistant Directors in formed that department has stocked advance ration in sale centers across the valley and hilly areas of Jammu region.

Reviewing the status of division wise target of ration cards for Aadhaar seeding, the Minister assigned the target of 31,000 beneficiaries for Aadhaar seeding in Jammu and 22,500 for Kashmir asking the officers to complete it by ending December.

Regarding strengthening of the monitoring system in the department by geo-tagging of its assets through Geographical Integration System, the meeting was informed that mapping of 6334 fair price shops has been completed against the target of 6553 and entries of details of the Vigilance Monitoring Committee on the portal has been completed for 5884 FPSs till date.

The meeting was informed that total number of 1392628 new ration cards have been distributed in Kashmir while 698380 in Jammu.

The Minister directed Commissioner Secretary FCS &CA to constitute a task force under the supervision of administrative secretary and both the directors of FCS&CA who will submit a panel of officers and task assigned to them for smooth execution of supply chain management on the portal. He directed the officers of NIC to impart training to the officers to ensure that supply chain would be implemented from Jan 01.

The Minister also directed the concerned to make all the newly established fair price shops operational within shortest possible time.

Commissioner Secretary FCS&CA Department M D Khan, Director, FCS&CA Kashmir, Joint Director, FCS&CA Jammu, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors of Jammu Division, officers of National Informatics Centre and other departments were present in the meeting which was also attended by ADs of other districts through Video conferencing.

J&K Bank chairman and CEO, on behalf of all the members of J&K Bank family, has expressed condolences on the untimely demise of its Senior Executive Mohammad Yousuf Khanday, who was posted as branch head Turkawangam branch in Shopian district.